Leader, Chichester District COuncil

Adrian is the Leader of Chichester District Council with additional responsibility for Economic Regeneration.

He is passionate about nature recovery and the environment and working across the District to ensure a strong community voice.

An important focus for the Council is the rural economy; supporting our agriculture, horticulture and viticulture to flourish sustainably.

Under Adrian’s leadership the Council is prioritising the cost-of-living crisis and working with local charities and community groups to support our residents.

During his working life Adrian ran a business consultancy supporting local and international business to grow their businesses in a sustainable and ethical fashion.

Alex de Winton has been involved in the charity sector for over 15 years.  She is on the board of two charity trusts both of whose aim is to support marginalised children and young people to achieve their full potential.

Government Affairs lead at the Obesity Health Alliance

Alfred Slade is the Government Affairs lead at the Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of over 50 of the UK’s leading health charities, medical royal colleges and campaign groups that have come together to advocate for population-level prevention measures to address the UK’s high prevalence of excess weight. This includes Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, the BMA and the Royal Colleges of Physicians.

He leads the alliance’s work in parliament and wider political messaging, including around key legislation to protect children from unhealthy food advertising on TV and online. Prior to this, he worked for a healthcare focussed public affairs agency focussing on obesity, social care and cardiovascular issues.

Director of Public Health, West Sussex County Council

She initially qualified as a nurse and midwife, and later on tobacco control before transferring into specialist public health. Following training, she was a consultant and then Director of Public Health in Nottingham before moving to West Sussex in 2021.

ENTERTAINING AND HOSPITALITY MANAGING DIRECTOR, GOODWOOD ESTATE

Andrew is a career hotelier and restaurateur, having managed hotels overseas in Dubai, South Africa and Malaysia as well at iconic UK hotels such as Brown’s Hotel and The Grand, Brighton. Also owned a pub and restaurant company in Brighton for 10 years and won the most sustainable pub in The UK award from The SRA. For the past 6 years has been MD of Entertaining and Hospitality at The Goodwood Estate, overseeing all hospitality businesses and current holder of The Catey Award for most sustainable business in UK hospitality.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FOOD FOUNDATION

Anna joined the Food Foundation as its first Executive Director at the beginning of June 2015 after 5 years at the Department for International Development (|DFID). The Food Foundation is an independent organisation that tackles the growing challenges facing the UK’s food system through the interests of the UK public. During 2019-21 she also served as Chief Independent Adviser to Henry Dimbleby – author of the National Food Strategy.   At DFID Anna led the policy team on nutrition and supported the delivery of the UK’s global commitments to tackle undernutrition.

Before joining DFID Anna worked for a number of international organisations including Save the Children and UNICEF supporting programmes in a wide range of contexts in Africa and South Asia.   Anna has also worked for the UK Department of Health. In 2014 she was awarded an OBE for her work to address the global burden of undernutrition.  She did an MSc in Human Nutrition at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1994.

Partner,  Pollen & Co

Anya Claxton is Partner, Deal Origination, at Pollen & Co – a sustainable growth consultancy helping businesses to secure capital from the right investors, assess their impact as they scale and ensure they have the right leadership team in place.

Anya is in the process of setting up a VC fund focussed on the UK food system, working with entrepreneurs that will benefit nature or human health through innovations across the entire system – from farm to fork.

Co-publisher, ShortBooks

Aurea Carpenter, co-publisher of Short Books, worked as a writer and editor in various areas of journalism, including features editor of the Sunday Telegraph Magazine, before co-founding Short Books. There she became one of the country’s leading non-fiction editors, working on many of the biggest health titles in the last decade, including Michael Mosley’s Fast 800 series, now an international brand. After selling Short Books to Hachette in 2019, she and Rebecca Nicolson left last year to establish New River, a creative independent publishing house with a focus on mental and physical health, self-development and social science.

Children’s Food Campaign

Barbara joined Sustain in 2018 and leads Children’s Food Campaign, which champions children’s rights, parent power and government action to improve the food environment children grow up in. We want healthy, nutritious food to be the easy, affordable and appealing option for all families. This includes winning government regulation to introduce the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, in-store restrictions on unhealthy food at entrances and checkouts, school food standards and a 9pm watershed on junk food advertising.

Barbara worked for over 13 years for the Fairtrade Foundation as Director of Policy & Public Affairs, leading the organisation’s communications, public campaigning, policy and research and working with companies to improve supply chain working & trading conditions for farmers and workers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.  Prior to that she was Head of Campaigns at Save the Children, working on child poverty and child rights.

Beyond Sustain, Barbara is also the founder of Out for Change, her executive coaching and campaigns and public affairs consultancy, specialising in sustainability, ethical trade and social justice. She is an avid foodie, birdwatcher, book club and indie choir member.

WRITER, GOODWOOD

Ben is an award-winning journalist, consultant and speechwriter.  He writes for major newspapers and magazines around the world, specialising in cars, the car industry and the transition to an electric, connected and autonomous future. He covers a wide variety of other topics too: recent assignments include an in-depth feature on the boom in English sparkling wine, and a three-day cycling trip through the Scottish Highlands with Sir Chris Hoy.

He is proud to have been part of the team which organises Goodwood’s annual Nucleus summit since its inception in 2015. Billed as ‘the automotive Davos’, it brings together all those who influence the new mobility –from legislators and the leaders of the established carmakers to the founders of the tech start-ups which seek to disrupt them – in order to advance the cause of sustainable transport.

As a speechwriter and communications consultant, he has worked directly with C-level executives at some of the world’s largest companies.

As a former chief test driver for a car magazine, Ben’s favourite stories include driving a standard Mini to the highest place a car can go, the 18,000ft Khardung La pass in the Himalayas, and testing the Bugatti Chiron, the world’s fastest car, beyond 200mph.

Ben’s work has brought him awards including Journalist of the Year, Feature Writer of the Year, the AA Environment Award and the Bentley International Award.

founder and director , Bottlebrush Ferments

Ben Payne is the founder and director of Bottlebrush Ferments, an award-winning, fermented food company based in the Garden of England, Kent.

Bottlebrush Ferments specialises in traditionally fermented live, raw Kimchi & Sauerkraut. Their aim is to feed people great tasting, whilst helping them improve their gut health in a quick, easy and delicious way.

Ben has been in the health and fitness industry for nearly 20 years, working as a coach and got into gut health and later, fermentation during his time interning under an accredited functional medicine practitioner in one of London’s most exclusive private members health clubs.

It was at this time that Ben had his own profound light bulb moment, whilst incorporating his newly acquired gut health focused interventions and since then has made them a focal point of any clients health journey.

Through Bottlebrush Ferments, Ben is trying to get the humble and underrated fermented foods to the masses of the UK to help them feel and perform their best.

PARTNER, EXECUTIVE COACH, PRESTON ASSOCIATES

After a decade gaining experience across multiple sectors both in agency and in house, Bryony founded her own luxury brand PR consultancy specialising in key influencer communications. She and her team worked at a senior level within most major international branded drinks corporations and also with a number of high profile UK family businesses. As her clients increasingly looked for a more strategic and personal approach she began executive coaching, transferring her branding and reputation management skills to people.

Bryony now works with CEOs, senior executives and teams across a range of sectors including financial services, advertising, food, retail and technology. As a great listener, yet challenging and provocative questioner, she provides a safe, fun and energising environment for clients to explore issues that are holding them back. She particularly enjoys helping identify bottlenecks between strategy and implementation caused by poor communication. By holding up the mirror to behaviour and its impact, she helps clients foster change that strengthens trust with key stakeholders to drive business performance.
In addition to coaching, Bryony advises a major luxury brand awards scheme, which she co-founded in 2014.

MANAGING DIRECTOR, NEW RIVER BOOKS

Catherine Gibbs worked in fashion before moving to publishing as finance manager of Short Books on its foundation in 2001. She continues to stitch as a volunteer with the rehabilitation charity Fine Cell Work. Also involved in the world of games publishing, until 2019 she was finance director of Portobello Games, creator of bestselling word game Snatch.

Real Bread Campaign

Chris Young has coordinated the Real Bread Campaign since March 2009. In addition to lobbying for an Honest Crust Act of better loaf composition, labelling and marketing laws; he created and runs Sourdough September; Real Bread Week; Real Bread For All; Together We Rise promoting therapeutic/social benefits and bread making; and the No Loaf Lost surplus reduction initiative. He edits True Loaf magazine and is the author of the Knead to Know…more microbakery handbook, Slow Dough: Real Bread recipe book; and forthcoming Bake Your Lawn, the guidebook for parents teachers and others to help children grow a loaf.

From 2014-18, Chris also coordinated the London Food Link network, which included editing The Jellied Eel magazine and helping to launch and run the Urban Food Awards. Chris has pulled on his judge’s wig for BOOM Awards, The Cateys, The Great Taste Awards, The Scottish Bread Championship and The World Bread Awards. In 2017, The School of Artisan Food honoured Chris with its first Fellowship.

Editor-in-Chief, Women’s Health

Claire Sanderson is the multi award-winning editor-in-chief of Women’s Health UK. She is responsible for the strategy and direction of the brand across all platforms. Claire is a regular contributor to TV, radio and podcasts and has worked with the government to improve health outcomes of women and girls as the only media representative on the Women’s Health Taskforce. With over 22 years editorial experience, she trained as a news journalist has worked for several national newspapers and magazine brands.

Instagram @clairesanderson

CEO, Best Beginnings

Best Beginnings is a national charity giving every child the best start in life through bite-sized health information delivered through the award-winning Baby Biddy App.

Clare is a practising Occupational Therapist specialising in neurology and mental health. She has held operational roles in the NHS in acute services, including women’s health, mental health and commissioning.

She also worked nationally for the healthcare regulator Monitor on national mental health policy as well as leading a national improvement model co-produced with mental health trusts and those who use services and their families and carers.

She lives in London with her husband and two children, holds an MBA from Henley Business School and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Leadership Fellow at St, George’s House, Windsor Castle.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HELLIOS HOLDINGS

Colin is an experienced entrepreneur who has set up and established successful global IT Services businesses. In 1993 Colin together with a Norwegian partner established Achilles Group which went on to become the largest provider of supplier accreditation services globally with a staff of over 850 and offices in 30 countries. Colin organised the sale to private equity in 2008 and remained as CEO and then Chairman of the business until 2012.

After leaving Achilles, Colin founded a new IT Services company, Hellios Holdings that now employs around 80 people in four countries and works in the defence and financial services and sectors. Hellios works to improve the quality of suppliers in particular assisting them with improving their ESG performance as well as areas such as operational resilience and cyber security,

After Achilles Colin accepted a number of NED roles including being on the Board of a procurement software company Contiki which was sold to Private Equity and Manufacturing 2030, a company based on managing and measuring carbon emissions which has successfully grown over the last 5 years and has just received Series A investment from a PE investor.

Colin was a Board member of the Outward Bound Trust, a charity focused on providing leadership and organisation training to disadvantaged young people using outdoors as a means of building key life skills. In the Trust, Colin has served on the Audit and Nominations and Remuneration Committees as well as working on specific IT and procurement projects. Colin is also a member of the Board of Outward Bound International, an umbrella organisation for the OB Schools in 37 countries where he currently serves as Treasurer but takes over as Chairman in October 2023.

Colin became the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for IT Services in 2010. He has lectured on procurement and supply chain management widely including on the Oxford Executive MBA course. Colin holds a degree in Economics, Government and History from the London School of Economics.

RESEARCH SCIENTIST, RANDOX

I graduated with a BSc in Genetics from the University of Liverpool.

My previous role at Randox was as a COVID Reporting Shift Lead.  I’m currently employed as a Research Scientist developing diagnostic panels at Randox.

Genomics Department MANAGER, RANDOX

Dana graduated from Ulster University in 2020, with a BSc (Hons) in Stratified Medicine. During my degree, I did my placement year working for a genetics company in Dublin, where I was on rotation throughout the different departments – bioinformatics, R&D, marketing, and patient advocacy and community engagement. I have been with Randox since May 2020, where I started working in the COVID-19 testing labs as a PCR scientist. I quickly progressed into a Deputy Manager role, then moved to help set up and run the COVID sequencing lab. I am currently managing a team of amazing genetic scientists, who are in involved with researching, developing, validating, and implementing various genetic tests for Randox to offer – to help people take control of their health!

Chief Operating Officer, News UK

David Dinsmore became Chief Operating Officer in September 2015, and was named EVP, Chief Operating Officer in 2022.

David is responsible for Group Operations and Platform relationships, developing News UK’s partnerships with tech platforms including Google, Apple and Facebook, as well as furthering strategic client relationships with the UK’s biggest advertisers.

He also oversees our Data operations, including News UK’s award-winning first-party personalisation tool, Nucleus: providing a decluttered, high quality experience for our digital consumers, encouraging them to view more articles and driving more advertising revenues.

David is also responsible for the efficient running of our retail, print and supply chain operations, overseeing Newsprinters, our industry-leading publishing services providers for The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times as well as, amongst others, The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Daily Mail, Metro and Evening Standard.

He is also responsible for developing our licensing business, and growing the potential of our live events business, News Live.

David has a long history with News UK, starting as a reporter at the age of 22 on The Scottish Sun in 1990, before rising through the ranks to become Editor of The Sun in June 2013. He has held a number of senior roles at Britain’s best-selling paper including Managing Editor, in which role he helped to oversee the launch of the Sunday edition.

David began his national newspaper career on The Scottish Sun where he became Editor in 2006, taking circulation to a market-leading 400,000-plus. In 2010, David was made General Manager of News UK in Scotland and subsequently became Director of Operations for News UK.

David has recently been appointed President of NewstrAid, the charity which aims to provide welfare for people who are, or have been, employed in the selling and distribution of newspapers and magazines in the UK and who find themselves in hardship.

CEO, Black Pear Software and the Chair of Trustees , Public Health Collaboration

With a 20-year tenure as an NHS family doctor, Dr. Jehring was instrumental in developing the first Windows GP clinical system in the UK. Subsequently, he played a pivotal role in expanding Apollo Medical on a national scale, leading to the foundation of Black Pear Software, which focuses on integrating healthcare data into shared care records for the NHS.

In addition to his medical and technical contributions, Dr. Jehring has trained with the British Society for Ecological Medicine, emphasizing nutrition and environmental medicine. After joining the Public Health Collaboration as a trustee, he was recently appointed Chair of Trustees, reflecting his commitment to promoting metabolic health through lifestyle choices.

Parallel to his medical interests, Dr. Jehring advocates for regenerative farming practices. He has actively sought knowledge from experts in the field to enhance soil quality at his farm in Worcestershire. Underlining the connection between soil and human health, he recently hosted “Pear Fest – From Soil to Soul”, a conference that brought together professionals from both the farming and medical communities.

Partner, EY

David Kennedy recently moved to EY, where he is partner for corporate sustainability, focusing on food amongst other sectors.

He was Director General for Food, Biosecurity and Trade at Defra for the last six years.. He was responsible for leading all work on the food system, including maintaining food security through Brexit and Covid, food strategy, and farming reforms.

Previously he was the UK Department for International Development’s first Director General for Economic Development.

Before that he was the founding Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change, which oversees design and implementation of the UK’s carbon framework.

He has also worked on development finance, strategy and investment at the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

He has a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics.

After qualifying as a doctor from Guy’s Hospital Medical School Dr Stewart became a member of the Royal College of Physicians.  He has worked in Sussex since the 1980s in a both Primary Care and in the Independent Sector.  He has a long-standing interest in nutrition and co-wrote several books on health and nutrition.

For the last ten years he has worked for the NHS Sussex ME/CFS service as part of a multi-disciplinary team assessing patients with unexplained chronic fatigue and more recently long-Covid.

infectious diseases doctor, UCLH

Dr. Chris van Tulleken is an infectious diseases doctor at UCLH with a diploma in Tropical Medicine and a PhD in Molecular Virology from UCL. In 2016 Chris won the Max Perutz award at the Royal Institution for his HIV research.

He is one of the BBC’s leading science presenters having worked on many flagship Health & Science programmes including: Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, Horizon, and The Truth About…, among others. He also co-hosts the hugely successful CBBC series Operation Ouch!

In 2023, Chris published Ultra Processed People, an exposé on the food industry. It became an international bestseller, topping both the UK and US charts.

Buy my book here:

Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food … and Why Can’t We Stop?

Relevant Article:
The Big Idea: Why We Need a New Definition of Junk Food

Director of Partnerships and Programmes, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the University of Liverpool

Dr. Christine Cornforth is an expert in the facilitation of clinical research, particularly in the domain of women’s and children’s health. Her career has encompassed impactful roles in various healthcare initiatives, ranging from spearheading COVID-19 research to advancing mental health projects and advocating for health equity among underserved populations.

In her current capacity as the Director of Partnerships and Programmes within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the University of Liverpool, Dr. Cornforth leads the delivery of several influential projects, most notably the Wellcome Trust-funded C-GULL (Children Growing Up in Liverpool) initiative. C-GULL is a nationally significant birth cohort that delves into the development and health of children as they live and grow in Liverpool, offering critical insights into child health and development patterns on a scale of national importance. Dr. Cornforth’s pivotal role in facilitating this and other related programmes of work underscore her commitment to advancing healthcare research, improving the well-being of future generations, and contributing to the broader national healthcare landscape.

Senior Clinical Scientist, RANDOX

Colin studied biochemistry at Queen’s University Belfast and then a PhD in Medical Genetics. Research fellow at QUB looking at proteins in neuromuscular disorders, and early work on molecular testing. From 1990 took up a role a principal scientist for molecular genetics in Belfast City Hospital and from 2000 took up role as consultant clinical scientist and Head of NI Regional Genetics laboratories.

Research interests were in the areas of lipid disorder genetics and genetic factors in Multiple Sclerosis.  Began work with Randox in 2010s to develop a biochip for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia genetic testing and in 2015 retired from Belfast Health Trust and took up part time role with Randox as Senior Clinical Scientist.  We now have a large Genomics testing facility, significantly developed during COVID19 pandemic, and now offering many genomic tests to Randox Health Clinics and third parties.

policy consultant

Dr Dolly van Tulleken is a policy consultant and Visiting Researcher at Cambridge University’s MRC Epidemiology Unit where she completed her PhD examining UK government obesity policy.  In 2022, Dolly founded her policy consultancy Dolitics to work largely on progressing food and health policy in collaboration with multiple organisations and individual to achieve meaningful policy change. Prior to her PhD and consultancy work, Dolly led the childhood obesity and grassroots sport research at the Centre for Social Justice think tank and was a parliamentary researcher in the House of Lords. Dolly co-founded 50:50 Parliament’s cross-party #AskHerToStand campaign which helps women in the UK get selected and elected. She is Vice President of ex-offenders employment charity Tempus Novo and an ambassador of military veterans charity Salute Her.

Senior Lecturer, Imperial COllege London

Dr James Kinross is a reader in surgery and head of colorectal surgery at Imperial College London. He is also a visiting professor at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. He leads a research team defining how the microbiome causes cancer and other chronic diseases of the gut.  He is the author of Dark Matter: The New Science of the Microbiome.

health scientist, RANDOX

I have worked for Randox Laboratories for over 12 years. In that time, I have worked extensively researching biomarkers of disease and producing scientific materials to aid understanding of new and existing tests.

I manage a team focused on researching new tests to identify their suitability for use as diagnostic biomarkers, with a particular focus on gastrointestinal health. Prior to joining Randox I studied at the University of Glasgow where I obtained a BSc (Hons) in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a PhD in Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences.

Martin Scurr was educated at Stonyhurst College, University College London, and Westminster Medical School. He commenced private practice in the centre of London in 1977, was the opening Medical Director of St John’s Hospice and was appointed as Physician to Westminster Cathedral taking responsibility for the care of many senior Catholic Clergy- leading to a lifetime commitment to the care of those leading religious lives. Following appointment as Chairman of the Independent Doctors Forum in 2003 he was recruited to write a weekly column for the Daily Mail. He maintains a particular interest in Medical Ethics, has trained as a Mediator, and is committed to the work of the Sustainable Food Trust.

director of the European Society of Preventive Medicine

Dr. Sagner is a medical doctor and researcher specializing in sports medicine and preventive medicine. Dr. Sagner was the medical director and attending physician at Europe’s first University medical center section for preventive medicine and lifestyle medicine where he oversaw an interdisciplinary team of medical doctors, nurses, exercise physiology specialists, physiotherapists and nutritionists and was involved in top league athletes. He then co-founded a private clinic group and research institute for cardiology, metabolism, endocrinology, preventive medicine and sports medicine where he looks after elite athletes, VIPs and executives. As a clinician he has spearheaded interventions in the field of endocrinology and cardiometabolic prevention such as the use of GLP1 agonists in Europe. His focus is on interdisciplinary approaches, looking at the systems of the human body as part of an integrated whole, incorporating biochemical, physiological, and environment interactions and translating these systems biology principles into clinical practice. He works on the convergence of systems biology and consumer-driven healthcare to transform medicine from its current reactive approach to an approach that is predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory (P4). As a public health expert, he has spearheaded several international initiatives in the field of systems biology driven preventive medicine working with governments and NGOs. One of his interests is closing the gap between clinical practice and public health to promote more effective and patient-oriented care and preventive interventions. For that he has collaborated with many NGOs such as the World Heart Federation (WHF), the World Obesity Federation and the World Health Organization (WHO) where he established the ‘cell to community’ approach in prevention.

Dr. Sagner is the director of the European Society of Preventive Medicine, member of the European Union Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health and partner of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Aging. He is a member for the UK Parliamentary Group for Longevity. He has numerous media appearances in print such as GQ Magazine and TV as a sought-after health expert. As a consultant he has supported companies, organizations and governments navigate the complexities of healthcare innovation in Europe, Asia and the United States. He is the current Editor-in-Chief of Progress in Preventive Medicine, a peer reviewed journal for P4 medicine and systems biology-based prevention. He co-authored the leading medical textbook on sports medicine and internal medicine and is the editor of several textbooks on preventive medicine, of which the English edition won the British Medical Book Prize and is used at Harvard Medical School for the Lifestyle Medicine courses. He currently focuses on -omics driven prediction and prevention of diseases with a systems biology approach for which he collaborates with interdisciplinary groups in medicine, biotech, mathematics, physics, forecasting, behavioural economics and complex systems theory. Dr. Sagner is on several advisory boards of international biotechnology companies.

Areas of Research: Advanced Preventive Medicine, Systems Medicine, Metabolism, Noncommunicable Diseases, Longevity, Muscle Physiology, Cardiometabolism

FOUNDER, RANDOX

Dr FitzGerald founded Randox in 1982 in a converted ‘Hen House’ at the back of his parent’s house in Crumlin, Co. Antrim.  Since then, the company has grown to over 3,000 staff worldwide including 800 R&D Scientists & Engineers, with customers in over 145 countries. Randox develop, manufacture and market a wide range of clinical and veterinary diagnostic reagents and systems. Randox supplies 100,000 laboratories globally and is the fourth largest manufacturer of clinical chemistry reagents in the world.

Dr FitzGerald was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2011 for services to business in Northern Ireland. He has gained many other accolades in his career to date; named a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) and Innovation Founder of the Year 2013 from the Northern Ireland Science Park, to name a few.

FOUNDER, MIND BODY MEDICAL

Founder of Mind Body Medical, Dr Sam Watts MCMA, Dip.Ayu, MSc, BSc (Hons), PhD is the lead Ayurvedic consultant at the thriving Ayurvedic practice in West Sussex. Following years of working in cancer research at the Department of Primary Care at the University of Southampton, where he completed his PHD, Dr Sam honed his focus on his passion for helping patients with chronic illnesses regain their health.

Dr Sam specialises in preventative medicine and the holistic management of chronic health conditions that conventional medicine alone is often ineffective at managing. Mind Body Medical helps people radically improve their health and reduce their disease risk factors by empowering them with powerful, evidence-based self-care practices that incorporate the traditional methods of Ayurvedic medicine for the modern world.

research scientist, randox

Born and raised in Iran, my passion for science and helping others was evident in my early anatomical sketches. After graduating with honours from Shahid Beheshti Medical School, the country’s top medical institution, I worked as a general practitioner in rural and remote areas for four years, eventually establishing my private office while serving less urban communities.

My experiences in underserved regions exposed me to the profound impact of poor digestive health on children’s well-being, igniting my interest in gastroenterology and paediatrics. I embarked on paediatric training at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, but soon realized I yearned for a more science-oriented setting. This led to a bold decision: transitioning from patient care to a career in medical research. I joined Randox Laboratories as a research scientist, focused on developing diagnostic biomarkers and databases for early disease detection.

My journey from a general practitioner to a research scientist has been a transformative one, allowing me to use my expertise to make a difference on a global scale.

research scientist, randox

An Iranian Clinical Nutritionist with a deep passion for science and health. My academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health specializing in Disease Prevention and Control, which ignited my interest in improving human well-being. Following that, I pursued a Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition, where I honed my expertise.

I have had the privilege of working as both a Clinical Nutritionist and a Disease Control Expert within the healthcare system for several years. Through these experiences, I have gained invaluable insights into the field of Nutrition Science and have witnessed first-hand the profound impact of nutrition on a diverse range of chronic and gastrointestinal diseases.

My dedication to research has led to several publications, including scientific papers and posters in the field of Nutrition. Currently, I’m a Research Scientist at Randox Laboratories, where I apply my research expertise to develop innovative ways to diagnose and treat various diseases, contributing to advancements in healthcare.

My journey is a testament to the power of curiosity and commitment to make a positive impact on public health. With a vigilant focus on the horizon, I eagerly anticipate future opportunities to contribute to the ever-evolving fields of Nutrition science and Chronic disease, with the aim of enhancing the well-being of individuals and communities worldwide

Elaine began her career in the field of psychology. Her interest in complementary therapies subsequently lead her to study Osteopathy, Naturopathy and later Acupuncture. Following her interest in acupuncture Elaine spent time working in hospitals in China.

Elaine is interested in all aspects of health and well-being. She has combined her time working in the Health Spa environment and hospitals. Her focus is on health promotion and designing wellness programmes. Nutrition forms an integral part of Elaine’s practice strongly underpinned with a focus on gut health.

Additionally, Elaine has spent time working in the NHS where she practised acupuncture affiliated to the oncology unit at the Royal Surrey Hospital.

Notably, Elaine was voted one of the top 10 therapists in the world by Tatler magazine and also rated one of the top 10 therapists in Britain by The Telegraph.

Chief of Staff,  Glucose Goddess

Elissa holds a BSc in biology and human genetics from UCL, a post-graduate diploma in cancer research, and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Edinburgh. She was a veterinary surgeon in London and France for several years and worked in the pharmaceutical industry helping to get drugs to market.

RESEARCH SCIENTIST, RANDOX

I work within a team interested in being able to better predict disease through developing risk-predictive algorithms. Prior to this, I completed a MSc in Molecular genetics and diagnostics at the University of Nottingham, and a BSc in Biochemistry at the University of Portsmouth.

Chair, Farm Retail Association

Emma Mosey is the Chair of the Farm Retail Association, the body that represents farm shops, pick your own farms and farmers markets across the UK. Emma also runs Minskip Farm Shop and Yolk Farm in Boroughbridge with her husband Ben. They left careers as a novelist and an exploration geologist to purchase their farm shop six years ago, and have grown turnover six-fold and opened the world’s first egg restaurant on a free-range egg farm in that time.

foundeR,  Taymount Clinic

After raising a family in the 1970-1990s, Enid returned to education, gained a BSc in Psychology in 1997 and then went into Software Engineering for 4 years.  Missing the human element in this work, she began studies in Naturopathy, a field she had held a passionate interest for since early adulthood.  She achieved a Doctorate in Naturopathy (ND) in 2002, and together with Glenn Taylor, founded the Taymount Clinic in 2003.   As her maiden name was Learmount, “Taymount” was a blend of Taylor and Learmount, essentially a part of both of them.  Initially the clinic specialised in colon lavage and after gaining Instructor level qualifications, they set up a school for training therapists.  In 2010, the frustration of the lack of long-term benefits from colon lavage, led to research into more lasting health benefits for their clients and they re-discovered FMT – Faecal Microbiota Transplant.  Glenn and Enid pioneered this process in the UK and by 2012, their work was beginning to have global reach and today, the Taymount Group enjoys a world-wide reputation, with patients coming from many countries to undertake the 10-day program at Taymount Clinic, UK.

The Taymount Clinic is now CQC registered (2021) to provide FMT treatments under physician’s prescription.

Public Health Nutritionist

A Public Health Nutritionist (AfN) and Manager of the Award-Winning Community Food Hub ‘Nourish Hub’, Ffion is passionate about improving the environment and lives of individuals. As member of the UKHarvest team who are on a mission to prevent food waste and food insecurity by enriching and educating our communities, Ffion is passionate about social justice works to protect our environment and ensure universal access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally-appropriate food for all.

Director and Editor-In-Chief, Sussex World

Gary is the Director and Editor-in-Chief of Sussex World and its weekly newspapers across Sussex – which include the Chichester Observer and West Sussex Gazette. He is also Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the parent company, National World. He sits on the industry bodies the NMA and the Editors’ Code Committee, specialising in law, ethics and regulation. He is a Deputy Lieutenant of West Sussex.

Founder, Taymount Clinic

Glenn had a keen interest in all science-based subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Human Biology, Organic Chemistry), but when faced with a career choice, he opted for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering instead of Medicine.  As a young man, he used his Engineering skills in the UK Armed Forces.  In 1995-1997 he was part of the World Land Speed Record team that achieved a new supersonic record.

Glenn attended grammar school with Enid Taylor (nee Learmount), and when they reconnected in 2002, he was fascinated with her work as a naturopath and he changed his focus from the ‘hard machine’ to the ‘soft machine’ of the human body studying microbiology and the world of the gut microbiome.   It was his early research into FMT (Faecal Microbiota Transplant), in 2010, which changed Taymount Clinic’s speciality from colon lavage into a pioneering FMT clinic in 2012.

Glenn has designed and refined the safe and licensed processing of human stool into live concentrate of quarantined microbiota extracts as single dose treatments .  He steered Taymount Limited, the pharmaceutical branch of the Taymount Group, through newly-introduced government regularity and he delivered Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliance with the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) and secured the UK’s only Medical Specials Licence for the manufacture of Faecal Microbiota Transplant Suspensions for named-patient application by prescription.  Taymount Limited, trading as TML.Science, has manufactured over 70,000 FMT Suspensions to date.

Grant is an experienced, successful business executive and a recently retired CEO, who has driven substantial value creation while demonstrating the positive role business can play with respect to environmental and societal issues.  He has achieved this in multiple roles, over 34 years with Mars Incorporated, ultimately as CEO.  Mars is now well over $45B in annual sales and a world leader in Petcare, Snack Food, and Food.  Mars is also now the world’s premier Veterinary company globally.

He now continues this work on sustainable value creation as Chair of the SMI’s Agribusiness Task Force, on the Board of Marriott International and with a leading Private Equity company.  Over his tenure, he also served on the Board of Directors of the Consumer Goods Forum, co-led their Forest Positive initiative, and was a member of OP2B, & B4IG.  All top-level organizations bringing together the private sector and civil society to promote sustainable development through good business.  Clearly demonstrating you can do well, while doing good.

Across his new roles and their varied responsibilities, He looks to help foster private and public partnerships to create financial and societal value in parallel – as a Chair, Board Member and Operating Partner in Private Equity.  He does this under his belief that “Performance without Purpose is Pointless, and Purpose without Performance is not Possible”.

Awards;
Proud recipient of:  “Humanitarian of the Year Award” for corporate leadership in driving sustainable business practices.  United Nations Day 2022, UN Association of New York.
Honorary Doctor Of the University of Stirling.

Founder of Ketocarefoods,  FATT and Natural Ketosis

Hannah is the Founder of three specialist food companies that create food for the Ketogenic Diet based on whole foods.  She founded Ketocarefoods that supplies food to the NHS for children with drug resistant epilepsy and FATT, which is a range of ultra clean and simple snacks for the ketogenic or low carb diet.  None of her products have any sweeteners and are free from fillers or other processed ingredients.  She also founded Natural Ketosis which delivers the complete ketogenic diet to the home.

Hannah was originally a partner in a large global law firm specializing in corporate finance but left to start making food for the ketogenic diet in 2004 having been inspired by several clinical studies showing the extraordinary results when you radically reduce your carbohydrate intake.  She has been an advocate of low carb whole food diets for over 20 years and is a Patron of the Public Health Collaboration.  Her business has been a supporter of charities such as Mathews Friends and Daisy Garland.

Her hope is that over time we will see a move away from a dependance of drugs for many modern chronic conditions and a greater engagement by the medical profession in the use of specific clinically proven diets to reverse and or manage multiple conditions.

tentant farmer, goodwood estate

Harry is a 4th generation tenant farmer on Goodwood Estate with a passion for farming and fitness.

Having had a traditional agricultural education through college and university, he returned home to work alongside his father on the family farm in 2013, following time working for Lord Rothschild at Waddesdon Estate and travelling to Australia.

The family converted to organic farming in 2017, running 240 dairy cows, 250 breeding ewes and growing arable crops to feed back to the animals.

Harry began investigating regenerative farm practices after reading books by Gabe Brown, Joel Salatin and older writings from George Henderson and Newton Turner to try and better understand the soils we manage and how the health of soils has a direct impact on the plants, animals, environment and us.

Harry started at Goodwood  in January 2023 with an aim to improve enterprise efficiencies, staff and animal welfare and land longevity.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, soil association

Helen farms in a family partnership on a mostly tenanted organic farm in Wiltshire with dairy, beef, pigs, cereals, agroforestry and small scale horticulture. Her products are sold through the Helen Browning’s Organic brand in retailers as well as through her hotel and restaurant/pub on the farm.

Her book ‘PIG; tales from an organic farm’, written with her partner Tim Finney, tells more about the trials and tribulations of their farming and food life.

She has been Chief Executive of the Soil Association since 2011, after a long involvement with the charity in a variety of exec and non-exec roles. Prior to rejoining the Soil Association, Helen was Director of External Affairs for the National Trust.

She is currently a Commissioner and trustee of the Food Farming and Countryside Commission and has had a number of roles in agri-politics over the years, including the Government’s Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food (‘the Curry Commission’), chaired the England Animal Health and Welfare Implementation Group and the Food Ethics Council. Helen was awarded an OBE in 1998 for her services to organic farming

Owner/Founder , The Milestone Detox

Helena founded The Milestone Detox in 2015, a juice and raw food detox retreat centre located in the heart of the Cotswolds.  Her passion for whole foods and whole people inspires her clients to continue their wellness journey long after they leave her retreat, “transformed for life in the Cotswolds”.

executive coach

James is an executive coach who works with individuals, teams and groups to develop their wellbeing and potential. James’s coaching practice is grounded in his values of development, enthusiasm, gratitude, fun and autonomy. James also has experience in consulting, start-ups, investment and family businesses.

James has an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, is a qualified yoga teacher and is a regular listener to the Food Programme.

Head of Genomics Strategy, RANDOX

James studied Biotechnology at the University of Nottingham where he conducted research into epigenetic regulation of the commonly referred ‘hunger suppressing hormone’, leptin. James began working for Randox as a Research and Development Scientist in 2018 where he worked on developing novel biochemical assays for detecting illness/disease. During the pandemic he managed one of the largest COVID-19 testing and sequencing labs in Europe and remains employed by Randox as Head of Genomics Strategy with interests in further understanding the human microbiome and how this affects your body.

Head of Health and Wellbeing, Goodwood

Jen has over 15 years’ experience managing experience-based wellbeing products and content. Specialising in Holistic Perimenopause health, Sleep Recovery and Stress management.

Responsible for revenues across multple wellness channels including membership subscriptions, events, corporate assets and retreats. Managing a heads of department team that oversee an extensive network of internal and external stakeholders.

We curate exceptional health and wellbeing retreats, with expertise at the heart. We focus on science backed holistic wellbeing, promoting innovation in the wellbeing industry such as Gut Health, Biohacking, resilience recovery, sleep-hygiene, stress and psychology led programmes. Our focus is preventative health which is highly tailored and curated to ensure the individuals results are met.

COO, Cibus Capital

Jeremy Alun-Jones is Cibus Capital’s COO with oversight of operations, valuations, finance and risk management.  Cibus provides investment advice to a series of sustainable food and agricultural tech funds. He chairs the firm’s Investment Advisory and Valuation committees and is a Board Director of five of the Cibus Fund’s largest investments: Prunus Nuts, The Flavour Farm, The Summer Berry Company, Innoliva and Amaretto Almonds.  Jeremy was educated at Oxford University, England where he received a MA in Human Sciences.

GLUCOSE GODDESS

Jessie Inchauspé is a French biochemist and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author. She is on a mission to translate cutting-edge science into easy tips to help people improve their physical and mental health. In her books Glucose Revolution and The Glucose Goddess Method, which sold over 1 million copies worldwide in 40 languages, she shares her startling discovery about the essential role of blood sugar in every aspect of our lives, and the surprising hacks to optimize it. Jessie is the founder of the wildly popular Instagram account @GlucoseGoddess, where she teaches over two million people about transformative food habits. She holds a BSc in mathematics from King’s College, London, and an MSc in biochemistry from Georgetown University.

 The Glucose Goddess Method by Jessie Inchauspé  (9781915780003)

Special Price of £11.00 + UK postage £3.10 (£14.10)

Discount Code: GGM23

Please contact Hachette Distribution with the Discount Code, ISBN and delivery address to order with hukdcustomerservice@hachette.co.uk or  01235 759555 Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm GMT

Start Date: 28/09/2023

Expiry Date: 30/10/2023

Chair of the Trustee Board,  Buttle UK

HEALTH AND NUTRITION, WAITROSE AND JOHN LEWIS

I have been working in the health and nutrition teams at Waitrose and the John Lewis Partnership for the past 14 years. I graduated with a degree in biochemistry and then specialised in nutrition, a subject that I have always been really passionate about.

I completed my PhD in 2005 at the MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit in Cambridge, where I spent 3 years investigating the link between what we eat and our risk of developing cancer. After receiving my PhD I was a Senior Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation for 4 years.

FOunder, Kultured

Jonathan is a fermentation enthusiast and founder of Kultured, making miso and amino sauce with organic British beans and pulses in Aberdeenshire, Scotland using ex whisky barrels. Beans never tasted so tasty!

He is CFO of the Fermenters Guild, demystifying microbes and supporting food and drinks professionals specialising in fermentation.

Chef of ten years, most notably at London’s first naked restaurant ‘The Bunyadi’.  A no hot food policy led him to lean into the flavour world of pickles, ferments, smoke and salt.

FOUNDER, WInston’s wish

Julie is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who has worked in both Oncology and Palliative Care settings. She is the founder of the national child bereavement charity Winston’s Wish and author of You Will Be Okay.

For the past 15 years Julie has worked with the Preston Associates as a Partner and Executive coach https://www.theprestonassociates.com/who-we-are/julie-stokes-obe/. Last year she designed a new Executive Reset – health and performance in conjunction with the Goodwood Gut Health Team https://www.goodwood.com/visit-eat-stay/health-wellbeing/wellness-retreats/executive-retreat/

radio presenter

Justin Webb presents the Today Programme on BBC Radio Four and the Americast podcast.

He was educated at Friends’ School Sidcot and the London School of Economics.   He joined the BBC in 1984.   He is married with three children.   His memoir of the 1970s The Gift of a Radio was published in paperback this year.

research scientist, randox

I have been a research scientist at RANDOX laboratories since December 2022. I completed my bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery from Chittagong Medical College, Bangladesh, and master’s in medical microbiology from University of Manchester. Prior to RANDOX I worked as a GP in Bangladesh and Maldives.

As a research scientist at RANDOX my main works are to assist in the development of testing algorithms. Developing a central information database incorporating disease states, condition categories, associated diagnostic tests and novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of diseases and risk groups.

Health Editor, Daily Mail

Kate Pickles is joint health editor at the Daily Mail, where she specialises in medical stories for the news section of the paper. She has worked at the company for almost a decade, including time on the news desk before returning to her passion of covering breaking health and research stories. Prior to this, she was health correspondent at regional newspapers the Edinburgh Evening News and Barnsley Chronicle.

Executive Director,  Grosvenor Food &AgTech

Katrin joined Grosvenor Food &AgTech (formerly known as Wheatsheaf Group) as an Executive Director in 2019. Katrin has been a venture investor since 2004, including 10 years as a partner with a venture capital technology fund in the US and five years at Syngenta’s corporate venture capital group.

Prior to 2004, she worked with HSBC in both the UK and Japan in various trading and business development roles.

Katrin graduated from Somerville College, University of Oxford, with an MA in Mathematics; holds an Executive MBA from Duke University; and an MSc in Microsystems and Nanotechnology from Cranfield University

chief marketing officer, WAGAMAMA

Kay Bartlett is a highly experienced FMCG marketer who has expanded into the leadership of customer experience, digital product development and is now a member of a high-performing executive leadership team.

Kay is a modern CMO who has successfully translated brand and purpose thinking into practical guest experience, menu innovation and consistent growth strategies.

She joined wagamama four years ago as Customer Director and soon faced the once in a lifetime challenges of the global pandemic. Kay led wagamama’s marketing team through significant challenges and helped steer a path through to the successful safe reopening of all wagamama restaurants.

As part of her role, Kay chairs wagamama’s brand board, comprising of a group of external subject matter experts who help guide the brand through an ever changing world.

Formerly Kay was at consumer industry giants Suntory working on Lucozade Energy and Lucozade Sport.

Lady Helen Taylor has an interest in all things health and wellness related and passionate advocate of complimentary healing through community, nutrition and movement.

Helen is a yoga/qigong practitioner and teacher in training, mother of 4, finding peace in nature, friends, art and music.

Karen Spencer is a social entrepreneur who founded Whole Child International in 2004, an international charity that works systemically to improve the quality of childcare in a variety of settings in the developing world. For the past 19 years, she has led an international team to improve systems of care, advocate and influence policy, and conduct related research.

Since moving to the UK full time in 2019, she has led Althorp’s efforts to improve the farming as well as a Parkland Restoration project.  Althorp now has all 4500 acres of in hand farmland in organic conversion and are working with globally recognized farming expert Nicole Masters to support capacity building for better farming practices in the UK.

In 2015, Lady Spencer was elected an Ashoka Fellow for identifying and filling a gap in care for orphans and vulnerable children. In 2016, she was made a Fellow at the University of Northampton in the UK. In 2017, People Magazine named her one of “25 Women Changing the World.” She sits on the Board of the Center for Global Development and the Governing Council of Catalyst 2030.

HEad of PR , The Bamford Collection

Head of PR at The Bamford Collection: Daylesford Organic, Bamford & Daylesford Stays

Laura Urquhart oversees the PR for all brands within the group which encompasses an organic farm and retailer; a considered clothing label; botanical skincare, bath and body collections; wellness destinations around the world; and a busy hospitality business with four pubs and 35 cottages. Each brand stems from our organic farm and champions a slow and sustainable way of living. Prior to The Bamford Collection, I specialised in food and hospitality PR working for brands including Corbin & King, Caprice Holdings, The Maybourne Group, John Lewis, Soho House, Harrods and property company British Land.

TV Presenter

Lisa Snowdon is one of the nation’s best loved radio and TV presenters, as well as being one of the UK’s most successful models.

Lisa is currently the fashion correspondent on ITV’s This Morning, giving the nation fashion tips and tricks each week, and was recently crowned BBC Celebrity MasterChef Champion in 2022.

In addition to her successful Self-Care Sunday IGTV series, Lisa co-hosts a weekly educational series on her Instagram, ‘Midweek Menopause Madness’. Lisa is a huge menopause advocate, breaking the taboo about discussing the Menopause, and recently released her debut book, Just Getting Started: Lessons in life, love, and menopause in May 2023.

Director of Education Services, iaps

Mark has worked in the education sector during the last 29 years. He has taught in both the state and independent sectors, including senior, junior, prep, day and boarding schools. Mark trained as a PE teacher and subsequently became a Director of Sport, Deputy Head and Director of Studies before gaining Headship.

Mark was appointed Headmaster for Giggleswick Junior School from 2007 – 2015 obtaining ‘outstanding’ in all areas of its inspection reports. During his Headship, the school trebled its pupil numbers and was nominated for the Independent School Awards for Strategic Initiative (2010) and Community Initiative (2011). Mark became a governor of a local state primary school serving as an education adviser (2013 – 2015) and Governor of a large Independent School (2020 – 2022)

In 2009, Mark was elected as District Representative for the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), a membership organisation that serves over 660 independent prep and junior schools across the world, sitting on the National Council (2009 – 2012). He was then elected Chairman of IAPS (2014 – 2015) and became a Board Director of the Independent Schools Council (ISC). Mark continued his passion for the work of IAPS as he took on his current role as IAPS Director of Education in September 2015.

Mark is currently a Board Director for the Independent Schools Teacher Induction panel (ISTIp), representing IAPS on the Independent Schools Exam Board (ISEB) Education Committee and was recently awarded a Fellowship of the Chartered College of Teaching.

Mark is a proud husband and father, and enjoys sports and outdoor life.

General Manager Catering J&I

Matt is the General Manger for Catering at Serco for the Justice and Immigration Business Unit. His responsibilities include Food Safety, Contract Support and new catering related initiatives along with bidding for and mobilising new contracts. Prior to this, Matt was the catering manager catering for 1200 prisoners in HMP Dovegate a busy, complex, and demanding prison. A previous career in the Armed Forces, serving on military operations and exercises across the world. Matt has worked his way up from a chef on the shop floor to senior management in his current role. His varied career means he has a wealth of knowledge and experience in large scale catering operations in all environments and climates.

Outreach & Communication Officer, ANH International

As a qualified Nutritional Therapist, she is passionate about empowering individuals to take control of their own health using natural approaches to health care where possible.

Melissa has had a wide and varied career to date and now uses this wealth of experience to inform practitioners about the work that ANH is doing as well as supporting them in promoting natural approaches to healthcare.

DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE, British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC)

Among many other duties, Michael provides the secretariat for the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Antibiotics.

He previously worked as the Director of Public Affairs for Adoption UK, and as the Head of Communications and Campaigns for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Michael is a qualified Senior Newspaper Journalist who has worked for both the Coventry Telegraph and the Gloucestershire Echo, where he was the Politics Editor.

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Politics, and a Master of Arts degree in Modern Literature (which was awarded with distinction).

executive chef, Goodwood estate

Mike first joined Goodwood in 2015 as head chef of Goodwood house. Previously working at Chewton Glen & Rhinefield House in the New Forest.  Overseeing the Goodwood chef’s academy developing and training Goodwood’s next generation of chefs as well as working with local schools & colleges championing the importance of using both organic and local ingredients.

 Category Technical Manager , Waitrose

Natalie has worked in the food retail industry for 12 years since completing a degree in Food Science and Nutrition with the University of Reading. She has held many different roles within the retail sector, starting out as a graduate with Sainsbury’s, and working up to becoming a Product Technologist, through to a Quality Manager. She joined Waitrose as a Technical Manager overseeing their export business where her expertise in Supplier and Product management were put to good use around the globe. Most recently she has been a Category Technical Manager for Waitrose ensuring the quality, safety, legality and health credentials of Waitrose Own Brand Products. Her passion for Nutrition has always been a driving force in her career, be it through product reformulation or allergen management and this year she completed a Masters in Applied Human Nutrition with Oxford Brookes University.

Director of Own Brand, Waitrose

Natalie is currently Director of Own Brand for Waitrose responsible for setting the innovation and technical vision & strategy and ensuring relevant, commercially sustainable differentiation through innovation whilst ensuring our products meet all legal, quality, safety and performance requirements. Her remit also covers risk management and legal compliance.

Prior to this, Natalie was Head of Product Innovation for Waitrose.  Her remit being to lead and deliver a differentiated, commercial product and packaging strategy for all Own Brand through interpretation of global, customer and product insight and trends.

Her previous role was Head of Online Grocery responsible for growing and delivering Waitrose.com sales and trading profit and developing the Online Grocery offer to complement core branch, convenience and Waitrose Direct propositions.

Natalie also spent a number of years within the Commercial side of the business where she was Head of Buying; Meat, Poultry, Fish and Eggs and had responsibility for setting strategy and delivering commercial results to deliver the best primary protein offer for Waitrose customers, working in close partnership with key suppliers and farmers.  She also worked in a number of other Buying roles within Dairy, Chilled Prepared Foods and Grocery.

Prior to joining Waitrose, Natalie worked for the Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Group for 9 years where she bought a variety of categories including Non Food, Grocery and Seasonal products.

Research Scientist, randox

I graduated with a BSc in Biomedical Sciences and a MSc in Molecular Medicine and have been working at Randox for over 3 years, initially as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist and now as a Research Scientist. Our team is focused on using novel biomarkers and testing algorithms to better help predict disease risk and aid in early signs for diagnosis. This work is important as preventative healthcare and early diagnostics is vital in providing better prognosis, improving quality of life and helping to ease the burden on our healthcare services.

CEO & Founder, Wylde Market

Returning to the UK from 6 years in Spain, Nick was seriously disappointed with the food he found – and doubly so, given that the UK produces some of the very best food in the world. And so Wylde was born.

Wylde is an online marketplace enabling artisanal producers of real food to sell direct to consumers.

Wylde Market have arranged a discount code for conference attendees.

To access the discount, type in GOODWOOD when checking out at www.wylde.market, to get £15 off your first order. The market is open each Wednesday, 7am to 2pm and you can sign up for notifications here – https://wylde.market/pages/stay-updated The code is valid from now until the end of October.

HEAD OF NUTRITION, COMPASS GROUP UK & IRELAND

Before embarking on her degree, Nicky spent six months in Ghana in West Africa working as part of a team of volunteers at a local hospital with malnourished children. This experience inspired her to learn more about nutrition and help to educate others on the topic.

Her career as a nutritionist officially began working in the education sector of Compass Group UK & Ireland. In this role Nicky’s focus was working with children in schools to improve the nutritional status of the meals provided to them and also working to educate these children about the food they are eating and its nutritional value.

Nicky then moved to the position of Head of Nutrition for Compass Group UK & Ireland. In her current role as Head of Nutrition, Nicky manages the nutrition team and works closely with Compass’ various sector businesses, advising them on health and wellbeing, ensuring that all regulations are adhered to and developing new initiatives that support consumers in maintaining a healthy balanced lifestyle.

Chief Growth Officer, Wylde Market

Noam co-founded and was the vision bearer for Ottolenghi. Having spent 20 years as part of the UK’s eating out revolution, he’s recently invested in Wylde to help do the same for eating in.

Wylde is an online marketplace enabling artisanal producers of real food to sell direct to consumers.

Wylde Market have arranged a discount code for conference attendees.

To access the discount, type in GOODWOOD when checking out at www.wylde.market, to get £15 off your first order. The market is open each Wednesday, 7am to 2pm and you can sign up for notifications here – https://wylde.market/pages/stay-updated The code is valid from now until the end of October.

director, randox

Nuailin is Director of the Randox Holdings Limited, and plays an active role in the Randox Health subsidiary. She also oversees plans for the development of the Randox Science Park (former Massereene army barracks) and any maintenance carried out on all other Randox sites.  The Cherryvalley and Dundarave Estates also fall under Mrs FitzGerald. They are both active shooting estates and home to our award winning Irish Moiled and Shorthorn cattle herds.

Mrs Nuailin FitzGerald is married to Dr Peter FitzGerald, Founder and Managing Director of Randox Laboratories. They have 2 children; Peter (24) and Angharad (23).

managing partner , Pollen & Co

Omar is the managing partner of Pollen & Co – a sustainable growth consulting firm. He previously founded and exited Wiser, the UK’s number one employer branding agency. Omar holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge and is currently setting up a fund dedicated to the food production system.

DIRECTOR, SASARE GROUP

Oni is an expert in Public, Private and Third Sector Procurement, Supply Chain and Logistics Management and is a Director of Sasare Associates, a consultancy advising on best practice Supply Chain and Logistics Management to Public, Private and Third sector organisations in the health, aviation, defence, transportation, Fin-Tech sector among others.

Mission Facilitator, Alliance for Natural Health

Paraschiva  holds an LLB (Hons) degree in Law from University of Edinburgh and believes that as individuals we should have choice and free will. She is passionate about creating a world in which we have optimum health and fulfilling lives in connection with each other, nature and spirit.

Prior to working for ANH, she worked as a Police Officer and she’s currently training to become a Nutritional Therapist. She loves being creative through writing, playing music, nature-connection and cooking nourishing recipes!

CEO , Sustainable Food Trust

Patrick’s mission is to work internationally to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable food and farming systems. He was Director of the Soil Association, the leading British organic farming organisation, from 1995 to 2010, where he played a leading role in developing the UK organic market. He trained in Biodynamic farming at Emerson College and has a mixed organic dairy holding in Wales. He received a CBE for services to organic farming in 2005 and in 2022 was awarded an honorary doctorate for international work in sustainable agriculture from the University of Wales Trinity St David’

Director of Corporate Business, Vitality Health

Pippa is the Director of Corporate Business at Vitality Health and has had an extensive career in corporate health and wellbeing, incorporating Group Risk and Group PMI insurances, spanning over 30 years (including time with Aviva Health and Zurich Life). Pippa’s main aim is to influence and change behaviour resulting in improvements in the health, wellbeing and productivity of the workforce.

Poppy founded one of the first interactive mindfulness technology platforms, Happy Not Perfect in 2016. She went on to sell the company (2022) expanding access to the digital mindfulness tools for over 100 million teachers, parents and students.

In 2021, Poppy released her debut book of the same name, hitting the best-seller lists.  Poppy hosts a weekly chart topping podcast, Unwind with Poppy to a global audience of curious wellness folk looking to open their minds, expand their sense of self and learn about holistic health.

Poppy became the youngest board member on the UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital advisory board and delivered the first mental health talk series at Cambridge University, she was also recognised on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for her entrepreneurship. Poppy is often delivering corporate talks on mental health, rest, recovery, the mind and body connection and sleep across the USA and UK.

Ed Bullmore MB PhD trained in medicine at the University of Oxford and St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London and completed a PhD in brain MRI statistical analysis at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London. He moved to Cambridge as Professor of Psychiatry in 1999 and was Head of the Department of Psychiatry from 2014-2021. He is currently Deputy Head of the School of Clinical Medicine and a Non-Executive Director of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Foundation NHS Trust. From 2005-2019, he worked half-time for GlaxoSmithKline, as VP Experimental Medicine, focusing on immuno-psychiatry, as described in his best-selling book “The Inflamed Mind” (2018). His scientific work on brain networks and development of mental health disorders has been highly cited. He has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, as a Fellow and Treasurer of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and as an Honorary Fellow of Downing College.

PRESIDENT, THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE (ESPM)

The European Society of Preventive Medicine (ESPM) proudly announces the appointment of Prof Pekka Puska as its new President. Puska, a distinguished figure in the field of public health and preventive medicine, brings with him a wealth of expertise and a proven track record of transformative contributions.

With an illustrious career spanning several decades, Professor Puska has been a driving force behind groundbreaking initiatives aimed at improving population health and advancing preventive measures. Notably, his leadership as the director of the North Karelia Project—an innovative public health undertaking—resulted in significant reductions in cardiovascular diseases through community-based interventions. His work has garnered international recognition and has been instrumental in shaping public health policies on a global scale.

Puska held the position of Director of Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Prevention and Health Promotion at the World Health Organization (WHO) Headquarters between 2001 and 2003. In 2006, he represented Finland as a candidate for the Director-General position of WHO. From 2010 to 2013, he served as the Chancellor of the University of Turku. He has also served as President of World Heart Federation (WHF) and President of the International Association of Public Health Institutes(IANPHI).

As the President of the European Society of Preventive Medicine, Professor Puska will spearhead efforts to further elevate the role of preventive medicine in promoting health and wellbeing across Europe and beyond. His visionary leadership and deep understanding of preventive strategies are poised to guide the ESPM in addressing emerging health challenges, fostering collaborations, and advocating for evidence-based policies.

Professor Puska has M.D and M.Pol.Sc. degrees and PhD in epidemiology and public health. Among several honours are Honorary Doctorate at St. Andrew’s University (Scotland) and Lisbon University, as well as Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He has received, among other things, WHO’s annual Health Education Award (1990), WHO Tobacco Free World Award (1999), the Nordic Award for Public Health (2005), the Rank Prize (2008) and the Ancel Keys Award by ACLM (2019).

Publisher, co-founder New River

Rebecca Nicolson worked for newspapers including the Observer, The Times and the Sunday Telegraph, and was latterly deputy editor of the Independent on Sunday before, in 2001, co-founding, with Aurea Carpenter, Short Books. The company carved out its own distinctive brand as a provider of bright, spirited, informative non-fiction and established a reputation for having the highest hit rate of any small publisher in the UK. It was sold to Hachette in 2019. She is co-founder and publisher of New River Books.

FOunder and ceo, The Fermenters Guild UK

After initially studying Chemistry & Biology and gaining an understanding and appreciation of science, Robin Sherriff moved into the world of work. From park ranger to bike mechanic to line cook, bar manager, animal vaccine research, UK training manager for a fudge shop, site manager for a Victorian confectionery plant, brand rep for a whisky company and many, many more.
Eventually Robin came to study an MSc in Gastronomy where he learned systems theory and how it relates to food. Gaining a knowledge of food chains and the complex and obfuscated paths it takes to bring a meal to the table. Robin wrote his thesis on the philosophy of Japanese whisky in Kyoto. During this time, he learned about saké – and thus – koji. In 2020 he launched The Koji Kitchen in Edinburgh – a small koji producer.

Robin formed The Fermenters Guild UK at the beginning of 2021.  He now offers workshops, talks, and consultation on fermentation techniques which allows him to not only discuss practical techniques, but the history, importance and inherently radical nature of alternative foodways, systems and food theory.

OPerations Manager, Goodwood Health Programmes, Goodwood Estate

With 10 years’ experience in the Fitness and health industry, working as a Personal trainer and group fitness class instructor specialising in Zumba and Aqua Fitness. Now working in operations management with the health and wellbeing team to deliver exceptional wellbeing retreats.

Director, Public Health Collaboration UK

Sam Feltham has been in the health and fitness industry for over two decades. Starting out as a party coordinator at a sports centre, he worked his way to study at the European Institute of Fitness to qualify as a Master Personal Trainer. After 5 years of running a fitness boot camp business and a successful podcast, Sam shifted his focus to improving public health by setting up and directing the Public Health Collaboration.

HTTPS://PHCUK.ORG/

Coach and Chartered Psychologist

Sam works with individuals, leaders and teams to unlock their performance at work and in life. Her research has led to a process that integrates mindset, movement, recovery strategies and nutrition to enable people to sustain high performance under pressure. Supporting people to consume colourful, largely plant based whole foods, Sam regularly witnesses a transformation in performance, outlook and general wellbeing.  samantha@samaxtell.com

CEO, British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT)

Satu is the CEO of British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) working with a dedicated small team to support approx. 3,500 BANT members, including BANT practitioners in a PSA-accredited register with qualifications in clinical practice and the use of nutrition and lifestyle medicine sciences.

Supported by her MSc in Personalised Nutrition, clinical practice training, and continued curiosity to follow the latest scientific developments in the field of nutrition, along with 20 odd prior years in senior positions in the corporate world, Satu is fully behind a new model of preventative healthcare as a priority, supporting BANT aims to promote the application of nutrition and lifestyle medicine sciences for optimum health, disease prevention and patient care. As a professional organisation BANT support members professional standing through policy development and tools to promote functional, science-based nutrition and lifestyle consultations and information provision as part of integrative healthcare.

BANT Wellbeing Guides

The Wellness Solution

Fight the Fat – Beat the Bloat

research scientist, randox

As a research scientist at Randox, my role is to research & review medical literature for identification of novel/emerging biomarkers and risk factors for various diseases/conditions. I am a Dentist from my background, with a master’s degree in Paediatric Dentistry (from India) and a second master’s degree which is about to finish is in Bioinformatics and Biostatistics. I am interested in Clinical health research and passionate about improving health globally.

Clinical Nutritionist, Physical & Mental Health Coach, Author

Stephanie has worked in the natural health field for over 30 years as a self-employed natural health therapist, clinical nutritionist, author and health coach. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Medicine and a Masters degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy, plus a long history as a multi-disciplinary physical therapist and fitness coach, she combines all skill sets to help people with many kinds of health issues, both physical and psychological with a prevention-first focus.

Stephanie conducts one-to-one nutritional therapy clinics in Surrey and Online offering a comprehensive assessment of her patients’ health issues to then provide detailed, personalised health protocols. With specialist interest in digestive health and the effect of the gut microbiome on  metabolic, hormonal and mental health conditions, Stephanie works with numerous GPs supporting treatment plans for challenging cases with eating disorders, metabolic chronic disease and cancer, both pre, during and post treatment.

For 9 years Stephanie was head of nutrition at Grayshott Medical Spa and clinical lead for the 7-day digestive health regime that she co-developed in 2012. Her gut health protocol is the inspiration behind GutGastronomy, a cookbook based on her gut healing philosophy. Since the closing of Grayshott Medical Spa in November 2020, Stephanie has relocated the health programme to Goodwood Estate, where it is now run as a 5 day, fully immersive experience at the Goodwood hotel and spa.

Stephanie contributes to various health publications; is often featured in the media as a health expert; she published her first book in 2017 called ‘Why Eating Less & Exercising More Makes You Fat!’, which explains why conventional weight loss advice fails and what to do instead to achieve permanent health and weight loss goals. She has also co-authored a book on Super-Foods with doctor of biochemistry and health campaigner, Dr James DiNicolantonio, and following her recent training in Nutritional Neuroscience, has written her soon to be published latest book ‘Eat Your Brain Happy’, which focuses on the critical role of gut health, food, sleep, exercise and other factors known to directly influence the health of the brain.

Stephanie has also recently embarked on a degree in canine nutrition and well-being, bringing together her love of dogs and health.

Patron, Pubic Health Collaboration UK, The Bennet Foundation

“The current decline in our nation’s health makes me frustrated, furious and fired up to create change!”

I am driven by a feeling of duty to pass on the knowledge I have gained in turning my own health around (I was obese for over 25 years) to others.

I am passionate about helping prevent and reverse, type 2 diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome across the UK.

Therefore, I spend my working days on several different approaches. As best as I can I use my business experience to amplify the voices of an ever-growing force of brilliant doctors, GPs, nutritionists, and medical experts, to communicate their message of how to achieve good metabolic health, focusing on preventing what is preventable and curing what is curable direct to the public. I created Health Results www.healthresults.com to help people explore, measure, and improve their metabolic health and I am a benefactor to both the Public Health Collaboration www.phcuk.org  and the Bennett Foundation www.BennettFoundation.org.uk .

I am a dad to 7 wonderful children and 2 adorable grandchildren. My day job after the morning school run is following my passion to educate our country about metabolic health. I love adventures too, and have trekked to the North Pole, sailed across the Atlantic, undertook some mammoth Strive Challenges and more recently, along with several members of the PHC, cycled 500 miles in five days with Zero calories!

Click here to watch ‘Zero Five 500’ on YouTube.

In a previous life…

• Owner & CEO of the UK’s fastest growing company 1996 “Sunday Times”
• In 1998 -Co-founded Safepurge Ltd, the world’s first shower head to prevent legionnaires disease safepurge.co.uk
• Created jungle.com in 1999, built to £100 million in annual sales, then sold to Argos
• 2002 created a TV shopping business which became Gemporia, which floated in 2006

Global Executive Chef and Brand Ambassador,  wagamama 

Steve Mangleshot is the global executive chef and brand ambassador at wagamama and has been with the business for over 20 years.

With over 30 years experience in the restaurant industry as a fully qualified chef, Steve is the creative director of menu innovation at wagamama and has been doing so for the last 12 years. He is responsible for creating dishes which he takes inspiration from Japan and wider Asia, bringing eastern flavours to the west. And also ensures we are innovating to key food trends with every menu innovation.

Steve has a vast amount of media experience and i regularly interviewed for print and TV channels including Fox News, Channel 4 and has assisted the producers of Masterchef and appeared alongside Gordon Ramsay in Future Food Stars.

Executive Coach and Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Adviser

Sue is an Executive Coach and Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Adviser, focussing on the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.  She spent over 30 years working in the industry, mainly with GSK.  Here she worked in the UK, Belgium and Australia in roles of increasing seniority across Marketing, Communications and Government Relations.  Her most recent role was to be part of the global leadership team for GSK’s vaccines division, accountable for GSK’s communications and Government relations strategy in this space; in previous roles she managed GSK’s relationship with the EU Institutions and the UK Government. During the COVID pandemic, she was President of Vaccines Europe, the Trade Body for the European Vaccines Industry.  Sue was awarded an MBE for services to the Pharmaceutical Industry in 2014 and has a degree in Chemistry from the University of Sheffield.

FOUNDER, SUSANNA LEA ASSOCIATES

In 2000, Susanna Lea founded SLA, a boutique, international literary agency. With offices in New York, Paris and London, SLA is honoured to work with a diverse selection of writers, from debut authors, prize winners, to bestselling authors of both fiction and nonfiction.

NHS Consultant Gastroenterologist,  Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham

I am an NHS Consultant Gastroenterologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, and my clinical practice is mainly in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I hold the Chair of Clinical Microbiome at the University of Birmingham and am Director of the University of Microbiome Treatment Centre (MTC) which I co-founded with Professor Peter Hawkey in 2016. The MTC holds (since 2016) the only MHRA-approved GMP specials licence for faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in the public sector in the UK. We provide an FMT service to treat patients with recurrent and severe Clostridiodes.difficile infection and for use in clinical trials. We treat about 200-300 patients annually throughout the UK. This treatment received NICE approval in 2022.

I am the UK NIHR National Specialty Lead for Gastroenterology and FMT lead (and ex chair) of the (joint British Society of Gastroenterology/Hospital Infection Society) UK Expert Panel for Microbiome Health. I was Chief Investigator of the first NIHR UK trial of FMT in IBD (Stop-Colitis) and co-investigator of the forthcoming LIFEARC funded trial of FMT in IBD/liver disease. I co-lead a GI theme (oral-intestinal microbiome) in the recent (2023) University of Birmingham NIHR BRC renewal investigating the oral-gut microbiome profile of newly identified patients with IBD with the aims of developing novel diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and contributing to the efforts to develop rational new biotherapeutics.

I am involved in international consensus groups in the FMT space and have advised the Romanian government, Australian Lifeblood Organisation and University of Barcelona regarding setting up FMT treatment centres.

Janet Richmond, Duchess of Richmond and Gordon, lives and works at the Goodwood Estate.  She is involved in the Health and Wellbeing programme and the organic farm, as well as hosting the motor sport and horse racing events.  She is a psychotherapist specialising in childhood bereavement and mind /body health.

Charles Richmond, The Duke of Richmond and Gordon, is Chairman of the Goodwood Group of Companies and the founder of the widely acclaimed Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival.

He took over the management of the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex from his father, the 10^th Duke of Richmond and Gordon, in 1994 after a successful career as a photographer in London. Having had a passion for film and photography since the age of 10, he left school at the first possible opportunity and at 17 worked for the film director Stanley Kubrick on the film Barry Lyndon. He went on to forge a world-wide reputation as a still-life photographer, producing award-winning campaigns for some of the world’s most famous brands.

Motorsport at Goodwood was started by his grandfather, Freddie Richmond (the 9^th Duke of Richmond and Gordon), who opened the Goodwood Motor Circuit in 1948. Having established the Festival of Speed in front of Goodwood House in 1993, Charles Richmond brought motor racing back to the Goodwood circuit (which had been closed in 1966) with the creation of the Goodwood Revival in 1998. Both events have since become recognised as some of the most exciting and creative events in the world.

The Goodwood Estate Company is one of a diverse portfolio of businesses which includes Goodwood Racecourse, a 4,000acre organic farm, two eighteen-hole golf courses, Goodwood Aerodrome and Flying School, a ninety-one-bedroom hotel and Hound Lodge, a luxury ten-bedroom sporting lodge. The Group employs over 650 people and attracts more than one million visitors each year. The Estate covers 12,000 acres and since 2003, has been the home and headquarters of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

In 2012, Nature Translated, a major exhibition of his photographic work (under the name Charles March) was staged at the Bermondsey Project Space in London. The exhibition was shown at the Marble Palace, part of the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg, in January 2014 and in Moscow as part of the Moscow Photography Biennale in April 2014. Two new exhibitions were held in early 2015: Wood Land at the Venus Over Manhattan Gallery in New York City and Abstract and Intentional which was held at Hamiltons Gallery in London.  In late 2016, Seascape was held at the Venus Over Los Angeles Gallery in the U.S.A. and was shown again at Hamiltons Gallery in London in September 2017.  An exhibition of highlights from his photography career, and a new body of work taken on the Scottish island of Jura, was held in the Palazzo Borghese in Rome in 2018.  At the same time, he launched a book of the Jura pictures called Gleann Badraig, published by Distanz and with poetry by Ken Cockburn.

Charles Richmond is President of the British Automobile Racing Club, Patron of the TT Riders Association, and an honorary member of the British Racing Drivers Club and the Guild of Motoring Writers.

winner of MasterChef,  co-founded Wahaca

Cook, writer, presenter, and winner of MasterChef, Tommi co-founded Wahaca in 2007, winner  of numerous awards for its food and sustainability credentials.  In 2016 the whole restaurant group went carbon neutral and half of its menu is vegetarian.  Tommi’s passion lies in food and its power to positively impact people, health (both mental and physical) and the environment.  She was a founding member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association in 2009, helped set up Chefs in Schools in 2017, for which she is a trustee and was awarded an OBE in 2019 for her services to the food industry.

Tommi has a weekly column in the Guardian’s Feast magazine and lives by her firm belief that three times a day we have the chance to save the planet through what we eat, which is hopefully always delicious!

CEO, Mindful Chef

Tim is CEO at Mindful Chef, the UK’s leading healthy recipe box business, on a mission to make healthy eating easy. A creative and practical business leader with a passion for building businesses he has experience from start-ups to large PLC’s and the Charity sector. Prior to joining the founding team at Mindful Chef, he was responsible for digital and strategy within the food division at Marks & Spencer. Before this he spent 15 years at Tesco in senior food roles in commercial and marketing in the UK and overseas.

Tim is one of the founders of The Sara Lee Trust which was set up in memory of his sister. He also sits on the advisory panel for IntoUniversity, a leading educational charity that provides access to education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds across the UK.”

founder, The Sourdough School

Today, she’s renowned globally for her passion and unique understanding of long, slow fermentation. Vanessa’s work, rooted in science and tradition, has reshaped the bread industry’s narrative. She has dedicated a lifetime to sharing the secrets of the nutritional and digestive benefits of combining diversity, fibre, and fermentation of bread, emphasising the vital role of grain quality, diverse ingredients, and use of fermentation. This approach to bread is known as Diversity Bread and is made with Botanical Blend Flour.

Vanessa recognised the need for a framework to support industry-wide change needed across the system, and she created BALM (Baking as Lifestyle Medicine), teaching not only bakers, farmers, millers, and the bread industry about how to make nourishing bread but also the healthcare profession, as the BALM system is socially prescribing within the NHS.

As Vanessa’s research revealed the significant positive impact of nutritious bread, it has further supported her determination to ensure that we address the nutritional value of our most basic food, bread. “Poor gut health changes everything, altering both physical and mental well-being. 99% of British households buy bread, making bread the most powerful, affordable way to reduce social inequalities sustainably. We urgently need to address the lack of fibre and diversity in our society, with 50% of fibre not coming from ultra-processed foods. The lack of diversity and fibre is the biggest social injustice of the century and is fueling all non-communicable diseases, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and arguably one of the major factors impacting mental health.” With this in mind, she has been working with global food producers to empower the industry to use the Diversity bread system.

Vanessa emphasises that fermentation alone cannot revolutionise the world of bread; it’s the synergy of grain cultivation, diverse ingredients in flour milling, and fermentation, along with our consumption habits that bolster our health and immune system. Her work connects people, fostering a deeper connection between bread, gut health, and mental well-being, influencing the global understanding of sourdough and regenerative farming.

Vanessa is just a few weeks away from completing her doctorate on the Nutrition and Digestibility of bread, with a focus on its impact on the gut microbiome and mental health.

President of Singleton and East Dean Women’s Institute, Chef and self professed biophile

Zoe has spent her entire career in working in the food and beverage industry; with the last 4 years working on and understanding the huge importance of organic farms. An unwavering passion for simple but delicious ingredients is integral to Zoe’s philosophy and this leads the values and ethos of the catering, retreat and concierge business she is launching.